Farm loans waiver: Opposition to launch second Sangharsh Yatra

Mumbai April 8 (IANS) After failing to get the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government to announce a full waiver of farm loans all major opposition parties in Maharashtra will take out a second Sangharsh Yatra to press for the demand.

The second Sangharsh Yatra will begin on April 15 after the first such week-long agitation was carried out in parts of eastern Maharashtra and Marathwada last week said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sudhir Dhone on Saturday.

The decision was taken at a joint meeting of various parties including Congress Nationalist Congress Party Samajwadi Party PWP PRP and others with Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil Dhone said.

He said that since the opposition had been clamouring for a farm loans waiver package in the state budget last month the ruling party had suspended 19 opposition parties legislators after which the entire opposition had boycotted the proceedings of the legislature.

The government failed to do justice in the legislature so we have decided to take the matter to the peoples court through the Sangharsh Yatra medium he pointed out.

It would be launched on April 15 from Sindhkhedraja in Buldhana and wend its way through other districts like Jalgaon Dhule Nandurbar Nashik and Palghar on April 18.

The agitation by the opposition parties will continue till the state government decides to completely wipe-off all pending farm debts in the state.

The opposition parties and ruling ally Shiv Sena have demanded that if Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath can keep his election promise and announce a farm loans waiver package why can t Maharashtra do the same.

However Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly stated that the government is committed to providing relief to the farmers and has ordered a study of the Uttar Pradesh loan waiver model before taking steps to implement it.

--IANS
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